More details emerge in fatal DUI crash

Man failed all field sobriety test phases, report says

EDWARDSVILLE — A man charged in the traffic death of a 27-year-old Swansea mother of three showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.12 and failed a field sobriety test, according to court documents filed recently.

An officer said Steven Willis, 27, of Maryville, failed each phase of the field sobriety test and admitted having “a few beers” after work during the accident investigation Oct. 22. He told the officer he did not remember the crash. The breath-analysis test was a portable model, which showed the preliminary result of 0.12 percent, compared with a 0.08 level for a legal presumption of intoxication.

An officer said the accident was just after 8 p.m., Oct. 22, on Interstate 55 near Collinsville. The car of the victim, Samantha S. Miller, 27, of Swansea, was stalled at the side of the road. The pickup truck driven by Willis struck Miller.

Police have brought forth new details in applying for a warrant to search an information module in Willis’ 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, which allegedly ran into Miller. Miller, a well liked member of a local roller derby team named Confluence Crush, went by the derby name of Slam Van Diesel.

A 3-year-old boy was injured in the crash. Two other children in the car were unhurt. Miller was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:05 p.m., Coroner Steve Nonn said in a news release.

Police have received a warrant to search the module, but the results are not complete.

The document states it was unclear if the victim was in her car or walking on the shoulder at the time of the crash. Her body was found in a ditch near the Chevrolet pickup truck.

Willis has been charged with two counts of aggravated DUI. One count is driving under the influence causing death. Willis is free on bail after posting $20,000 of his $200,000 bond. The penalty for driving under the influence causing death is three to seven years in prison.